Promise Not to Slip Away
by writable
Summary: COMPLETE! "How bad is he?" she asked, the tears flowing stubbornly, despite her wishes for them not to. "He's as good as he can be in this situation, detective," the doctor replied. Oneshot, please review!
1. Promise Not to Slip Away

_as i run my hands through your hair; __**promise not to slip away.**_

"How bad is he?" she asked, the tears flowing stubbornly, despite her wishes for them not to.

"He's as good as he can be in this situation, detective," the doctor replied.

Kate's teeth clenched in anger at the response she received.

"Which is _what_, exactly, doctor? Care to elaborate any?" She was taken aback herself by the venom that spewed out of her mouth, but she didn't care.

Not right now.

"Well, he's alive, if that's what you're asking," the doctor answered, surprisingly calm in a situation as precarious as this.

"He's lost a lot of blood, detective," he continued, sensing the need for more answers, "We're giving him more as we speak, but it may not help. I need to warn you that he may not make it unless he's a fighter."

Kate's fists curled in anger at the negativity that this doctor was emitting. She could punch him right then and there; she certainly had the badge to make it legal. Her limbs shook as she held back, her emotions waging a war deep within her.

"I can understand what you're feeling right now," he said as he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

She shook it off before gazing sternly at the doctor.

"Can you?" she asked, fury burning on the underside of each word. "Have you ever had a man shadow you on a case? Have you ever experienced the feeling of not being able to protect someone when they were being shot at?"

The doctor gazed at the floor, biting his lip in silence.

"I didn't think so," Kate continued curtly. "So don't you dare tell me you know what I feel like, because you do not. And I pray that you never will."

She turned swiftly on her heel, her mouth pursed into a very angry line, as she walked away towards the hospital room. She pressed a hand against the cold door handle.

"Excuse me, ma'am, you can't go in there," a nurse shouted. Beckett reached into her pocket and flashed her badge at the nurse.

Misuse of that thing was not something she was ashamed of at the moment.

She opened the door, and almost wishes she had heeded the nurse's warning. On the hospital bed laid Richard Castle, meek under the covers. _He looks so weak,_ Kate thought, as she stared at the abundance of tubes and machines that were hooked to him. She stifled her tears as her eyes fell upon his body; it was so still she had to double check that he was still breathing. He looked so small, so fragile, as if even her touch would break him into a million little pieces. She looked at his body, her eyes settling on the bandaged wound on his bare chest. She walked towards the bed, placing a finger on the corner of the bandage, rubbing soothingly up and down the exposed part of his chest. She nearly fell backwards when he began to speak.

"Getting freaky at a hospital, eh?" he whispered quietly, a small smirk appearing on his exhausted lips.

"But hey, if it works for you," he continued, before puckering his lips animatedly, preparing for a kiss.

Instead, Kate laid a finger across his lips. "Shhhh," she demanded. "You don't need to do this."

Castle's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Do what?" he asked.

"Be funny," Kate replied. "You don't need to be funny for me right now."

Castle closed his eyes as he understood.

Kate found herself running her hand through his hair gently, comforting the man that she knew she couldn't live without. Over and over her fingers ran through the messy ruffles of brown hair as Castle fell asleep beneath her touch.

She realized he had fallen asleep, and bent down to his face, placing a soft kiss upon his forehead. She slowly straightened, gazing at Castle's peaceful face, etching the picture into her memory. She turned away, and proceeded to walk out, but a weak hand restrained her from leaving.

"Stay," Castle demanded, as his eyes opened in awareness, and his fingers clasped around Kate's wrist. Her head turned to him in surprise, as he attempted to smile. Kate nodded before walking back to his bedside, placing a hand across his cheek, rubbing it soothingly with her thumb. Her hand once again found its way in the ruffles of his hair as she ran through it.

Neither shifted as darkness fell into the hospital room.

Kate was thankful though, for the night.

Under its shade, he could not see her tears.


	2. Hand That Holds My Tears

**Yay, I've gone with B. Basically, now this story is a series of one-shots about what happens with Rick and Kate before/during/after his hospitalization. Thank ya'll for voting! **

_are you really; _**the hand that holds my tears?**

She woke abruptly, the nightmare replaying in her head too disturbing for one to stay asleep. The sun had not fully risen, but through the small streaks of light visible through the blinds, the light blue sheets and Castle's serene face could be seen. Light blue was not the most comforting color. Perhaps it could be in an appropriate occasion, such as a child's birth, or a party of some sort, but right then, in the dismal hospital room, it served no purpose besides being a painful reminder of why they were there.

Beckett stroked Castle's childish face endearingly, a gesture that she, at any other point in time, would've thought absurd. She smiled as his light snoring, a sloppy bit of drool pooling ever so slightly in the corner of his mouth.

'_Don't you dare get out of this car, okay, Castle?' She had warned. He had nodded in agreement, that stupid grin plastered across his face. She had walked over to the abandoned building, her bulletproof jacket zippered in place. She had mumbled some things to the people behind her, as she got her gun ready, squaring it in her hands. _

Castle moved abruptly, turning his head so that it was facing Kate. The sun seemed to take forever to rise. The darkness was silent. The silence was lonely. The loneliness was painful. Kate removed her hand from Richard's face, and leaned back in her chair by his beside, trying to drift off into a peaceful slumber.

"_Okay, you guys," Kate had started, "This guy's dangerous. Apparently, he was last seen with a revolver in his hand, so we know he's armed. Be careful." Esposito and Ryan, along with the backup crew, had simply nodded, concern and expecting in their expressions. Kate moved in forwards, opening the door of the building, her eyes darting to the sides of the room, searching for someone she wasn't sure was even there._

The sun was still yet to be fully seen, but the slight chirp of birds was comforting. The sky was a deep red, with occasional yellow streaks. Kate opened her eyes for a second, allowing herself to be mesmerized in the cloudless, vast expansion.

_Castle opened the door of the car quietly, breaking the rules once again, as per Castle tradition. He stepped out of it, and then closed the door it quickly. He glanced around, hoping, praying, she hadn't heard the sound. If there was going to be another gun battle, he was going to get in on the action. _

The sun was now halfway up, and warmth seeped into the hospital room. Kate began to feel at ease as she felt herself slipping into a deep sleep.

_She had just turned a corner in the abandoned building when Kate heard the gunshot. She turned suddenly, preparing for whatever it was. Esposito mirrored her action, resting his left hand in his right palm, his eyes wide, and aware. It took a few seconds, and the sound of a sickening moan when realization set in. _

"_Castle," Kate whispered. _

_She began running out of the building, pushing aside anyone and anything in her path. She made it to the lot, spotting a man running away from the crime scene. "Esposito, follow him!" Kate demanded, as she pointed at the dark blur now on the street. He obeyed, racing towards him, yelling. Beckett made her way to Richard, who now lay by the car, his body limp, and worn. She shook her head in disbelief as she knelt next to him, nausea setting in at the sight of the blood running down his shoulder. _

_His signature idiotic grin was still plastered on his face, despite the grim manner of the situation. _

"_Are you going to shoot me too, detective?" he muttered playfully, as he began to laugh. He winced in pain. _

"_Call a medic!" Kate screeched from his side. In mere seconds, a siren began to sound. She placed her hand on his chest, trying to stop the blood flow, emotions running rampant within her. A uniformed medic rushed to her side, a stretcher beside him. He, with the assistance of another woman, helped Castle onto it, wheeling him back to the ambulance. _

_Kate backed away, a hand on her mouth, as her eyes began to fill with moisture. _

"_He'll be okay," she remembered an uncertain voice saying to her. "He'll be okay."_

Kate woke once again from her short slumber in a frenzy, drops of sweat on her forehead, tears on her cheeks. She raised her hand and felt her face, disbelieving of the moisture she felt dripping from her eyes. She suddenly bowed her head in sorrow as she began to sob, needing to expel the bottled up emotions. Her body shook in violent convulsions as her tears took their course. She closed her eyes, unsuccessfully trying to stop the flow.

She felt a hand on her face, the feeling coming from it both apologetic, and understanding. It rested there, as it stroked her cheek, subtly wiping the tears away. Her eyes opened when she realized whose hand it was that now held her tears.

"Don't cry," Castle pleaded, his eyebrows raised, his bottom lip jutting out just a tad. "I'll be okay."

Kate nodded as Rick continued to caress her face with his hand, trying to comfort her as best he could from the hospital bed.

The sun had finally risen in Kate Beckett's life.


	3. Everything I Want

_i don't quit have; _**everything i want.**

"You're a very lucky man, Mr. Castle," the doctor said, jotting something down in his notebook, "You took that shot to your chest. A couple inches to the right, and it might've hit your heart; and the fact that you were able to get medical attention almost immediately…you better thank your lucky stars, tonight, Rick."

Castle looked over at Beckett, staring deep into her eyes.

"I will," he said.

Beckett's mouth curled into a subtle smile.

"Anyways," the doctor continued, "you'll be ready to leave in a day or two. We just need to run some more tests, and I'll prescribe some painkillers. Your shoulder's going to be murder from the looks of it."

Kate looked at the doctor in slight agitation at his choice of words.

"Uh," the doctor corrected, "no pun intended." He grinned, embarrassed.

"No problem, doc," Rick replied, smirking.

"If you need me, I'll be here," finished the doctor, walking out the door.

Kate and Castle sat in silence for a few moments, before Rick let out a loud sigh.

"This is going to leave a scar," he said.

"That should be the least of your worries," Kate retorted, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Worries?" Castle asked, disbelief evident in his eyes, "This is my first battle scar. I'm thrilled!"

Kate's eyes narrowed as she glared at him.

"It's not funny, Rick." Kate placed her arms on the armrest, and crossed her legs, staring at Castle angrily in the eye as he fidgeted in his hospital bed. He was now sitting up. He looked healthier.

He looked stronger.

"Wow, you're so grumpy, people are gonna think _you're_ the one that got shot," he answered, winking.

Kate rolled her eyes, playfully.

"I'm just glad you're safe," she declared quietly, half not wanting to be heard.

"I'm glad too," Rick answered, placing a hand on hers.

Kate glanced at it for a moment, before clearing her throat, and removing her hand from his grip.

"I tried to call Alexis, and y-you're mother," she said, "Neither of them picked up. Do you know anything about where they could be?" She stood up suddenly, placing a hand on her hip.

"Actually, yes," Rick replied, "They're both in L.A. for the month. Mother's got this gig, and I figured it'd be a good experience for Alexis, so they both went." He bit his lip.

"Do you have their cell numbers, or something? We're gonna need to tell them that-"

"Kate," Rick interrupted, taking a deep breath, "You can't tell them."

He looked pleadingly into her eyes before continuing.

"They'd be freaked out if they knew. They'd never let me shadow you again, and you'd scare Alexis half to death. Please don't call."

Kate looked at him in disbelief.

"Castle," she began, "You have to tell them. There are the medical bills, the medication you have to pick up every week, people are going to need to drive you around, pick up food, help you out in general. You can't possibly expect to do that alone." Her jaw hung open, still mildly shocked at his request. But although she would never admit, there was something oddly endearing about how he worried for his family, even though he was the one in the hospital bed.

"I guess you're right," he agreed, gazing down in realization. His face fell in sorrow.

"Unless," Kate began, the words coming out of her mouth even before she could realize what she was saying, "You stay with me."

Castle looked up in downright shock, as his jaw dropped.

"Yeah," Kate continued, sounding more confident than she felt, "You could stay with me. I mean, you follow me around everywhere _anyway_. At least I'll be there to make sure you don't do anything stupid."

"I'm sorry," Richard began in a playful voice as he stuck a finger in his ear and turned it, "My ears must be clogged. Did you just invite me to come to your house until Alexis and Mother come back?" He spoke slowly, trying to comprehend.

Kate rolled her eyes as her lips pursed.

"I could always call Alexis and tell her to come pick you up," she assisted, raising her eyebrows as she picked up her phone from her belt, placing her finger on the numbers threateningly.

"No, no," Rick replied, "I'll come. I'm just shocked that you offered."

"I'm shocked that I asked," Kate muttered to herself.

"Hello, Ricky," a jolly voice announced. Kate and Castle looked up suddenly, only to find a short, plump nurse at the doorway. She held a tray in her hands, and a smile plastered to her face.

"Lunch time!" she declared, as she walked over to Castle, completely ignoring the female presence in the room.

"You know, sweetie," she whispered as she placed the tray on the table beside him, "If you need a sponge bath later, I'm available." She winked suggestively, thrusting herself into his arms.

"I'm married," Rick announced quickly, as he looked over to Kate. "She's my wife," he continued, pointing to Beckett.

The nurse's face fell as she glanced over at Kate.

"He didn't put a ring on _my_ finger," Kate declared, wiggling her fingers in the nurse's direction.

Rick glared at Beckett as the nurse began smiling again. Kate stood up laughing, and walked over to the door.

"I'll leave you two alone," she said as she winked at Rick, closing the door behind her.

-------

Rick awoke to the sound of a paper bag rustling in the hospital room. He opened his eyes abruptly, and glanced over at Kate, who now sat in her chair, a massive half eaten hamburger in her left hand, a nearly empty box of fries in her right. She looked at the things in her arms confused, trying to figure out how to reach for her soda on the table without spilling the contents onto the floor.

Castle chuckled in endearment at the sight he saw.

Kate looked over at him, startled by the sudden noise, and grinned, before placing the container of fries on the table, and the burger next to it. She wiped her hands on a paper towel in front of her before speaking.

She began to laugh, and Castle's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. All across his face were red lipstick marks from the nurse's previous liaison.

She took another paper towel and began wiping his face, pausing to show him the progress every once in a while. Her fingers lingered on his lips for a little longer than they needed to.

He mumbled an embarrassed thank you as he glanced over hungrily at her food, and the still full tray of hospital mush.

"Don't worry," Kate said, sensing his hunger, as she passed a brown paper bag to him.

"You were sleeping when I got back, so the food's probably kind of cold, but I don't think you'll care." She looked pointedly at the hospital tray.

"I got you two burgers, fries, an apple pie, a soda, and…" She paused, before turning to a third bag on the table, picking something from it.

"An ice cream cone." She grinned, handing it to him. "I figured that was everything you could want." She rolled her eyes playfully.

Rick spoke before opening up his bag.

"Not _everything._"


	4. Turn Me to the Right

_can you; _**turn me to the right?**

"Turn me to the right. No, right. Yeah, right there."

Rick waved to his fans from his wheelchair, grinning and winking.

"I'm not your chauffeur," Kate muttered under her breath, as she wheeled Rick away. He was still wearing his gown, and Kate could not help noticing that even in such a garment, he still looked rather attractive. Rick's hair lay tousled and messy upon his head, and his signature smirk lay across his lips.

"I'm starting to think that you're a little grumpy," Rick retorted continuing to wave to his fans on either side of the hospital corridor. Kate rolled her eyes at his sarcasm.

"Do we need to go to your house and pick up some clothes for you?" Kate asked, ignoring his previous statement, "You're not going to wear _that_ the whole time you're at my house, are you?"

Rick turned to face her as best he could.

"Would you like it if I did?" he asked seductively, raising a single eyebrow.

Kate clenched her teeth in half sincere anger as she purposely rolled Rick over a piece of garbage on the hospital floor. He yelped in pain as the wheelchair rocked violently.

"I'm taking that's a no?" he asked.

"Mhm."

Kate rolled Rick across the last stretch of the corridor, arriving on the sidewalk at last.

"Finally," Kate whispered, taking in a deep breath of the fresh air, closing her eyes, erasing the entire memory of the unfortunate endeavor from her mind.

"Where's our car?" Rick asked cheerfully, scanning the lot for the police vehicle.

"No police car this time, Castle," Kate replied, putting his effort to rest. "I brought my car this time."

"_Your _car?" asked Rick, surprised. "You have a car?"

Kate narrowed her eyebrows in slight irritation.

"A whole steering wheel and four tires all for me!" she replied, the sarcasm obviously piercing.

Rick blushed, glancing down at the floor.

"You do realize I don't get to _keep_ the cop car, right?" Kate asked, wheeling Rick to a shiny black SUV.

He was silent as Kate helped him out of his wheelchair, and into the passenger seat of her vehicle. She moved the wheelchair back to the front of the hospital, and thanked a worker for letting her use it. Walking back briskly to the car, Kate mumbled to herself, not sure if inviting Rick to her home was that great of an idea.

She couldn't honestly say that she wasn't excited, though.

Kate pulled open her door, and hopped inside. She glanced over at Rick, who was now examining every surface of the car, surprised at the immense amount of style it contained.

"I need to buy me one of these," he announced, pressing random buttons on the stereo.

-------

Kate parked her car in the lot of Rick's apartment. The first task of the day was to get some clothes for this man. As entertaining as it would be to Kate, walking around in a backless gown wasn't exactly the most comfortable thing in the world.

She clicked a button on the SUV's keychain, and an assuring beep sounded. She nodded subconsciously as she walked over to Rick's door, and helped him out. They arrived at Rick's apartment and he began fumbling for his keys. Again and again, he patted his hospital gown, trying to find them.

"It's a hospital gown, genius," Kate declared, handing Rick's house keys, wallet, and an assortment of colorful papers back to him. "These were in your pants' pocket, though," she continued.

"Oh," Rick replied, somewhat confused. "Thanks."

For the first time in a while, Kate noticed that Rick didn't seem like himself. The combination of a new home, a bullet wound on his chest, and no immediate family around seemed to take a toll on him. Kate realized that she would need to tone down the sarcasm to make him feel welcome.

She glanced over at Rick, who was now fumbling with the keys. Kate took them from his hand, and inserted the correct one into the keyhole. He grinned thankfully. She nodded.

The door opened to the extravagant abode, and once again, Kate was engulfed in the immense beauty of his home. Every time she arrived, she was caught up in the lavish furniture, and rich colors of the apartment.

"Have a drink," Rick declared, gesturing over to the bar in the kitchen, "I'll be right back."

He disappeared into the hallway as Kate perched herself on one of the kitchen stools, ignoring Rick's offer. She spent her few minutes alone imagining about what the next month would be like.

In what seemed like just a few seconds, Castle had finished packing, and he approached Kate in a blue collared shirt, black pants, and two suitcases in his hands. She glanced at them, smirking.

"I always thought men were light packers," she joked, "What do you have in there, beauty products?"

Castle looked down at his suitcases, and his bottom lip jutted out just a bit.

"You don't think I _naturally_ look as good as I do now, do you?" he asked, grinning.

Beckett rolled her eyes as she hopped off the stool, and grabbed one of the suitcases.

"Let me help you," she said, before picking it up from the floor, and heading to the door.

"Do you need anything else?" Kate turned to face Rick as she approached the door.

"No, I don't think-" Castle began.

"Yeah, I know that already." Kate interrupted, grinning.

Rick's eyes narrowed.

"Actually," he continued, his face lighting up, "I _will_ need one thing."

He jogged over to the kitchen, and grabbed a bottle of wine. Kate smirked as he returned to her with it.

"Nice choice," she declared, as they walked out of his house.

------

"Alright, Castle," Kate began. Giving Richard a tour of her house was uncomfortable, but she wasn't about to leave the poor guy at his house alone. Sympathy for him and his wound was wearing off slowly, and life slowly would return to what it was before the incident.

Hopefully.

Kate's home was modest, but it wasn't small by any means. Having to be the parent for most of her childhood prepared her for living on her own- frugality and independence were but two things she was taught. As she gestured for Rick to follow her into the hall, Kate thought of how similar her childhood was with Rick's. Both had only one main parental figure, if one could call them that. Martha was an extravagant actress, who hired a nanny to take care of her son, and Kate's father was an alcoholic for a good part of her life, popping open a bottle every time an obstacle hindered his plans.

She had promised herself, after watching her father, never to rely on the bottles of liquid for support or encouragement. She would go out and do a good day's work, and perhaps while doing so, she would prevent history from repeating itself.

"And this is your room," Kate finished, pushing open the door to the guest bedroom. Themes were sort of her weakness, although Castle had figured that by now. The living room had an Indian theme, dark oranges and browns filling every empty surface. Her bedroom was Asian themed, with greens, and yellows, and plants. The guest bedroom was her favorite, by far, and as she looked in it, Kate couldn't help but wonder why she hadn't made it her own room. Rich reds and blacks of France were immediately seen upon entering, and Richard himself began drowning in the immense color much like Kate had when she had entered Rick's home. He had noticed how fondly she had looked at this room.

"It's kind of small, but it's cozy," Kate promised Rick, "And my room is just down the hall." She pointed to a room with its door closed.

"There's a bathroom right across from this room, and there's one next to mine, too. I showed you the kitchen already, and you're more than welcome to use anything here. It's your home for the next month." She grimaced.

"I don't know what to say," Rick answered, sitting on the already made bed, dropping his suitcases to the side of the room.

"Richard _Castle_ doesn't know what to say?" Kate retorted, smirking. "Anyways," she continued, "I'll be in the kitchen if you need me. What do you feel like eating? Chinese? Indian? All-American?"

"I don't know," Rick replied, scratching his chin, "But Kate, could you do me a huge favor?"

Kate raised her eyebrows in concern. "Sure," she replied.

"My shoulder's starting to hurt again," he answered weakly, "Do you think you could stop by the pharmacy, and pick up those painkillers?"

Kate nodded eagerly. "I'll be right back," she said, "Phone's in the kitchen if you need something else."

She turned swiftly on her heel, and proceeded to exit her house. She hopped into her car once locking the front door, and drove to the pharmacy.

"Poor guy," she couldn't help but thinking, "He must be in so much pain."

-------

"Yeah. Actually, I'd like two of them. Thanks, Liz, you're a doll."

Rick plopped onto the couch as he whispered seductively into the phone. In truth, his shoulder hadn't hurt at all. He just needed to get that woman out of the house.

"Red and black, yeah," he continued, pressing the phone to his ear, "And candles. Lots of candles."

"Nope, that's it, Liz," he finished abruptly, "And I'll get that signed copy to you in a week."

He made a shallow kissing noise into the phone, and pressed the button, a huge sigh of relief escaping his breath.

In but 10 minutes, the doorbell rang. Rick cheerfully stood up to answer it.

"The dining room's right over there," Castle announced, gesturing.

One could not miss the sly grin on his face.

-------

Rick was smoothing out the red linen when he heard Kate fumbling with her keys at the door. He signaled to the waiters, and they scurried into the kitchen. The clunking of metal followed.

The door opened creakily, and Rick walked to the door in a suave manner. He extended his hand to Kate, a surprised look on her face.

"I brought you the painkillers, but you seem to be all better."

Her eyes narrowed as she looked to his shoulder, and then at his face, adorned with a knowing smirk.

"You do know I have a gun, right, Castle?" she asked, as she stared pointedly into his eyes.

"Yeah, I know, I know," Rick replied, grasping her elbow, and leading her into the dining room.

Kate couldn't help but gasp at the sight in front of her.

Her dining table was covered in a rich red linen with black placemats, and white candles. The dimmer was set to its lowest setting, and the glow from the candles seemed almost…romantic. Rick dragged Kate to a seat, and extended her chair, which she accepted gracefully, a touched smile appearing on her face.

Rick took his own seat, and gestured to his waiters, who immediately arrived with silver platters in their hands. Kate gawked at them as they placed the trays on the table, lifting the lids, exposing amazing looking food, releasing a luscious aroma.

Kate looked over at Rick, half confused, half pleased at the feat he managed to accomplish. The waiters left momentarily, and arrived with two glasses of wine before excusing themselves for the night.

Kate turned in her seat to face Rick, the smug look on his face absolutely priceless.

"What is this?" she asked, the question sounding more like a statement. She gestured to the food.

"These are utensils, me lady," answered Rick jokingly, lifting a fork and a knife from the table.

"Cut the pirate talk, Castle," Kate retorted, scoffing.

"Pirate?" Rick repeated, clutching his chest in mock sorrow. "I was trying to sound medieval."

"Trying would be the operative word," Kate replied, smirking. "But really…what is this?"

"This is my way of thanking you, detective," Rick answered sincerely, smiling. Not one of those shallow, _I'm Rick Castle and I can get anything I want _smile, but a true, _I'm Rick Castle and I hope you enjoy this _smile.

The change of behavior was awfully attractive to Kate.

Rick turned abruptly to his food as he began reconsidering his entire plan. His smile had entirely faded when the first forkful of food approached his mouth, and he gazed down, somewhat embarrassed, somewhat fearful.

He only had been eating for a few minutes when he heard her.

"You're welcome," she replied.


	5. I Always Need You

**Hey everyone! It's been forever since I've written this story, but as per a promise I've made to myself to tie up some loose ends, I wanted to finish this one up so that everyone that's read it can get a nice little ending. Thanks so much for your reviews, they mean a lot to me! **

As Kate scooped a final forkful of dessert into her mouth, she realized that she would actually be sad to see their dinner end. It had been tremendously sweet of him to thank her like this, and whether or not she liked to admit it, she didn't think that it would be particularly hard to have him live with her for a while. At first she had reconciled the thought by selfishly telling herself that it would put her at ease to know that she had nursed him back to health in a small way. But as things had progressed, it dawned on her that perhaps she would simply enjoy his company.

Damn him.

Their conversation throughout the night had spanned a wide variety of topics, and they'd managed to humiliate nearly a decade of pop culture. They laughed over things they'd shared interest in at children, songs that they'd once enjoyed, people that they'd come across in their unusual lifetimes. It was incredibly personal and so overwhelmingly fun that Kate swore Castle was deliberately eating his cheesecake at tortoise speed.

"I'm officially stuffed," she mumbled, placing her fork delicately onto the plate before her. Her hand rested on her belly, and memories of childhood Thanksgivings sprinted through her head.

"You sure?" Castle asked, his eyebrows rising in sincere concern. "You only had one slice of cheesecake!"

Beckett smirked.

"Give me another one and I might never be able to eat another thing again," she laughed, rolling her eyes at him. She looked at her plate pensively, her lips curling into a grin.

"Are the remnants of your chicken cacciatore _that _entertaining?" Castle asked. Beckett shook her head, heaving a quiet sigh.

"No, it's just," she paused for a moment, "This reminded me of the Thanksgiving dinners I used to have with my family when I was a kid." She saw Castle's quizzical expression and shook her head.

"My dad used to eat so much he would fall asleep at the dinner table," she continued. "Every year. Mom would cook all day- she made the best mashed potatoes- and he would somehow always manage to use them as a pillow." She chuckled to herself, snapping out of her reverie.

"Thanks for making me remember, Castle," she said.

"Uh-uh, no thanking _me _tonight," he replied, shaking his head, "This was supposed to be about you."

He watched as Beckett's nose crinkled, and he was certain that her cheeks flushed crimson.

"Well you did a damn good job, Castle," she smirked, "But now I think it's about me putting the food away."

She scanned the dishes on the table, but was surprised to find that they had eaten through every dish Castle had ordered. There was a single slice where the mini-order of cheesecake used to be, smears of sauce in the silver tray that had once held the chicken cacciatore. She turned back to Castle, amused.

"I take it back. We're pretty slick."

Castle grinned.

Kate observed his face for a moment, taking note of his drooping eyelids and lazy half smile. Suddenly she felt stupid for being so oblivious to his condition.

"Castle, I'm so sorry. You look exhausted," she breathed, standing up abruptly. "And you never did take those painkillers." His eyes glistened with boyish charm as she spoke.

"Nothing hurts anymore, Beckett," he replied.

She tried to ignore his ententre as she cleaned the table hastily, piling up the trays and dumping them into the trash can. Castle stood to help, but was pushed back into his chair by Beckett's chastising hand. She wagged her finger at him, a warning that his shoulder would never get better if he didn't take any rest. He reluctantly obliged, watching as she swiftly placed their dishes in the sink, and glanced over the tablecloth one last time with an air of satisfaction.

"All done," she said, flashing him a quick smile. "Ready for bed?"

"Yes, mother," he replied begrudgingly, cursing the sudden wave of fatigue that had flattened him onto shore.

Kate guided him to the guest bedroom, resting against the door frame as she pointed things out once more.

"I'll be in my room if you need me," she told him, placing a hand on the curve of her hip. Castle smiled naughtily as he made his way towards the bed.

"But Beckett, I always need you."

Kate rolled her eyes clumsily, her heart suddenly flipping over in her chest.

"Goodnight, Castle," she muttered, trying her best to form a smile. Castle watched with amusement as she tried fruitlessly to recollect herself.

"Night, Beckett."


End file.
